Biopsies are important medical tests used to collect cells or tissue for examination so as to determine the presence, extent, or likelihood of disease, trauma, ailment, or for other diagnostic or therapeutic applications. Biopsies are generally painful procedures, and current devices used to collect samples suffer from many shortcomings. For example, the use of a single-ported device only permits the capture of a single sample per entry into the tissue region of interest, and the sample collected is generally of a small size resulting in the need for multiple entries or “sticks” so as to collect a sample of sufficient size. Indeed, current devices often result in a “blind” depth assessment because the biopsy device fails to accurately disclose the depth at which the sample gathering device is currently positioned. The blind depth assessment may also require multiple entries so as to collect a sufficient sample because the initial or subsequent entries underpass or overpass the sample sought. Collection devices also cause unnecessary trauma to the surrounding tissue by ripping or tearing the sample from its original dwelling. Additionally, the force needed to manually drive the collection device into the tissue causes unnecessary pain to the patient. Current devices also suffer from an increased risk of contaminating the sample when ejected as well as increasing the user's exposure to sharps. The result of the many shortcomings from current needle biopsy devices may also create an increased risk of infection and site morbidity, sample contamination, patient pain, discomfort, and healing time.
There exists a need in the art for a biopsy device that provides for an accurate, sufficiently-sized sample collected at a known location while presenting minimal damage to the surrounding collection location and providing less opportunity for contamination after collection. There is a need in the art for a low cost, disposable biopsy device.